Somewhere Between Far and Away
by winter's fever
Summary: Rory Gilmore and her mother, Lorelai relocate to Tree Hill, a small North Carolina town far from Stars Hollow. Lorelai promises herself that she would escape her parents and make a life she could never regret. Crossover. Gilmore Girls with One Tree Hill.
1. Promises

Title: Somewhere Between Far and Away

Author: Nocturnal

Rating: PG-13 (strong language and sensuality)

Summary: Rory Gilmore and her mother, Lorelai relocate to Tree Hill, a small North Carolina town far from Stars Hollow. Lorelai promises herself that she would escape her parents and make a life she could never regret. Rory has withdrawals after leaving Dean and her best friend, Lane behind in Stars Hollow but made dedicated promises to keep their relationships as strong as ever. Will the Gilmore Girls be able to keep those promises?

Author Note: I love both Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill so I figured I'd make a crossover. This is my first crossover and I'm only basing them on the first seasons of each show. Remember to leave me some reviews so I can feel special enough to continue this story!

- - - -

Chapter One: Promises

- - - -

"Honey?" Lorelai turned from the steering wheel to see her daughter, Rory, reading a book. "Don't you ever get tired of reading books?"

"This is a hobby. You do those when you're tired." Rory answered pulling the book down from in front of her face.

"I know and it's great hobby, but we have been traveling through some dozen states and the only time you've looked away from the book is when we've stopped to eat." Lorelai complained trying to pay attention to the road.

"And now." Rory set the book in her lap. "Mom, what else can I do in a car for so long?"

"I don't know." Lorelai looked around for an idea. "The scenery! Come on, look how beautiful it is!"

"It's dark outside." Rory pulled the book back up in front of her face.

"Exactly, you shouldn't be reading in the dark. You'll go blind." Lorelai pulled the book away from her daughter's face.

"I'm using the over head light." Rory pulled the book from her mother's reach. "I think that's enough light to read a book."

"Not if the light magically goes out." The over head light went out over Rory's head.

"Mom!" Rory shut the book closed. "This isn't about me reading, is it?"

:"Yeah. It is." Lorelai put both of her hands back on the wheel returning her full attention to the road.

"You are bored, aren't you?" Rory tucked her book in her bag and set it on the floor in between her feet.

"Yes!" Lorelai exhaled and slummed her shoulders down. "It's crazy that I've been driving this car for a whole day without any coffee for two whole hours and bad soccer mom hair! I'm afraid I'm going to turn into Mommie Dearest on you!"

"I told you to pack an extra thermos of hot coffee." Rory scolded her mother's rashness.

"I did! I just managed to kill it off about seven hours ago." Lorelai straightened up a little better. "I think it's okay because we are almost there."

"Really?" Rory checked her watch. "It's almost five a.m."

"Good, the first thing I'm doing when we get to Tree Hill is finding a great place that has coffee." Lorelai pressed down on the gas pedal letting the jeep speed up as they cruised down the highway.

- - - -

"Okay, so we are here. Our new house and my very own inn." Lorelai shoved an arm around her daughter's waist.

"It looks remarkably close to our old home." Rory's eyebrows raised as she looked up at a large creme colored Victorian style home.

"That's the point. Now, the movers have all our stuff in the U-Hauls and all I need to do it call the company and get some of those lumberjack-types to fish our furniture into the house." Lorelai pulled a cell phone from her pant pocket and starting dialing. "While I'm doing that, you get the fun of picking us up two, hot black coffees from town."

"I don't even know where they sell coffee here." Rory complained.

"Ah, that's the fun, my dear!" Lorelai let her arm drop as she put the cell to her ear and started talking to the receiver on the other end.

Rory pouted in front of her mother before she signaled her daughter to get a move on. Rory stole a glance at her watch again, 7:28 a.m. There had to be somewhere open selling coffee.

Tree Hill was a small town as far as Rory had seen. It reminded her very much of Stars Hollow except she didn't recognize any of the people in this town. It looked more modern, seeing as most stores didn't possess another era like quality to them. There wasn't a Taylor here, bossing denizens about property problems or laws. There wasn't a Dean here either. She couldn't help but feel a pit of guilt for leaving Dean behind, however she promised she wasn't going to ever take his bracelet off. She pulled on the leather band on her wrist before stopping in front of a suitable coffee supplier.

"Karen's Cafe." Rory read aloud. "Let luck be a lady."

She stepped into the little cafe, immediately smelling brewing coffee. This was the spot. Boy, she missed Luke's. The place had a few early risers sitting, eating breakfast or reading a morning paper. Rory noticed a dark-haired woman standing behind the counter fiddling with a stack of napkins. As if she knew she was being watched, the woman looked up and spotted Rory standing awkwardly observing the place.

"May I help you?" Her smile seemed like a welcome.

"Um, two large black coffees, please." Rory smiled back, stepping up to the counter.

"Oh." Her eyebrows furrowed a minute. "Do you mind waiting a moment? I just put a fresh pot on."

"No." Rory took a seat at the counter. She liked this woman, she had an unattainable gentleness and kindness to her than she couldn't help but envy.

Rory pulled the book she was reading earlier out of her bag and casually flipped to the page she left off of.

"_Of Mice and Men_?" The woman's voice questioned from behind the book. "You a John Steinbeck fan?"

Rory set the book down on the counter watching the woman set two foam cups down on the counter.

"Yes." Rory felt a little surprise of sudden interest toward the woman.

"That's wonderful. You should meet my son, he loves him too." She smiled pointing a finger at the book in Rory's hands. "I'm Karen Roe."

She held her hand out to shake and Rory responded firmly.

"Rory. Rory Gilmore."

"Ah, the newcomer." Karen smiled genuinely at her.

"This _is_ a small town." Rory exclaimed before putting her attention back to _Of Mice and Men_.

"Here you go, two black coffees to go." Karen set the two large cups in front of Rory.

Rory fished in her bag for money but Karen put a hand up stopping her.

"Consider this an official welcome." Karen mildly interjected before handing the cups to Rory.

"Thank you, so much." Rory smiled tucking the book in her bag and taking the coffee.

"Come back soon!" Karen called out to her as she slipped out of the cafe.

Rory hurried back to the new house, sipping down her coffee all along the way. If she didn't hurry, she knew her mother just might be having caffeine withdrawal seizures. As she pushed her way through the front door of the house, she was bull rushed by Lorelai.

"Oh! Coffee!" Lorelai grabbed the full cup from her daughter's hand and took a large gulp. "Wow, this is almost as good as Luke's."

"You better not let that slip to Luke." Rory smirked, poking fun at her mom.

"Hey, I said 'almost'." Lorelai took another long sip. "I never said it was."

Rory looked around to see the place looked almost the same as Gilmore Manor back at home except more with an inn cleanness.

"The guys didn't take long." Lorelai waved a hand around the room. "The company boss was running around the rooms like the white rabbit in _Alice In Wonderland_ except instead of carrying around one of those really classical pocket watches, a cheap sports watch that has a timer and glow-in-the-dark surface. It was still funny watching him freak out as I kept stalling him."

"Where's my room?" Rory asked yawning.

"Oh, it's down the main hall, the first door on the left." Lorelai ushered her through the house. "All your stuff should be in there, you just need to unpack it."

"Uh-huh." Rory just said opening the door.

The room was bigger than hers back home but looked just as cozy. It wasn't the same. And the town wasn't the same either. She couldn't go to Luke's anymore, she couldn't be dragged to Lane's to help her best friend with her always developing problems, and she couldn't wander into Doose's Market on occasion to steal looks at Dean.

"You know how sorry I am for making this move, honey." Lorelai set her arm around her daughter's shoulder and letting her head relaxing against Rory's forehead. "I'm gonna make this work. I promise you new friends and a new school. And I promise you Tree Hill will eventually feel like Stars Hollow."

"This is your dream, mom. I'm not going to let you give it up and I'm glad you didn't let grandma or grandpa take it from you either." Rory hugged her mother tightly. "You deserve this."

Lorelai just sighed and patted her daughter's head. She pulled the empty cup from her hand and let her go.

"You should get some sleep and then you can unpack." Lorelai kissed her daughter's forehead. "In a day or two you are going to start school at Tree Hill High School and it will be good."

"I have to say going back to public school is a relief." Rory smiled up at her mom before sitting on the empty bed.

"Rest, hon. I'll wake you up later." Lorelai walked back to the door but stopped as Rory's voice rose.

"Shouldn't you get some sleep?" Rory asked lying on her back.

"Nah, as long as I got coffee with me. Where was it you got this from?" She held the empty foam cup up.

"A little place called Karen's Cafe." Rory let her eyes close as the door lock clicked shut.

- - - -

"I've come to claim a cup of coffee!" Lorelai announced as she walked up to the counter to face a young, comely looking teenage girl. The girl smiled at the remark.

"Ah, then it is that you shall claim." The girl replied pouring a cup for Lorelai.

"After school jobs, I remember those." Lorelai sighed as if she was remembering a fond time. "As long as the pay isn't crap."

"Oh, no. It's great." The girl was strangely open to Lorelai's awkward personality. "I know the person who runs the cafe, so it's not really a job."

"Oh, I know how that is. Free coffee." Lorelai sipped the coffee and set a few singles on the counter. "Gosh, caffeine is my life, so you'll probably be seeing me a whole bunch against your will."

"Oh, that's okay. You'll be my first regular customer Mrs.-?" The girl filled the money in the register.

"Lorelai Gilmore." She smiled taking another sip on the sweet elixir.

"That's a unique name. My name is Haley. James---Haley, James." She chuckled nervously.

"I blame my mother for my name so.."

"I do too!"

"Hals!" A boy's voice called out as he stepped up to the counter next to Lorelai. He had an unruly amount of dirty blonde hair and sultry cerulean eyes. "When you get off?"

"About five hours from now." Haley rolled her eyes. "You know when I get off, why?"

"I was gonna go down to River Court, wondered if you wanted to come along." He leaned his elbows on the counter and glanced over at Lorelai who was staring at him.

"I could take a picture, it may last longer." Lorelai quipped and watched as the boy laughed wholeheartedly.

"If I had a camera, I'd let you." He returned the joke with pristine.

"So, what's River Court, some drug slum?" Lorelai asked.

"It's a park. Luke goes there to play ball." Haley answered holding back another giggle at Lorelai's joke.

"Oh. Maybe Rory would like that." Lorelai wondered sipping on her coffee which was starting to deplete quickly.

"Who's Rory?" The boy asked.

"My daughter. She doesn't really play basketball or anything but she could met new people. People that are her age and aren't graying yet."

"Yeah, sure. She can show up if she wants to." Luke raised an eyebrow. "It's just me and a few friends."

"Would it be too much to ask for a refill?" Lorelai dipped the cup at Haley.

"No problem." Haley smiled and filled the cup again. "I'll try and see if I can get off. Maybe I'll see Rory?"

"Maybe." Lorelai simply replied waving a goodbye to the two.

- - - -

"Why did you say that, mom?" Rory's eyes felt like they were about to tear up. "I don't even known these people. What if they are crazy or cannibals or something?"

"Well, if they are then they won't have a fulfilling meal now, will they?" Lorelai shoved a pair or Rory's pants in an open drawer.

"Mom? Can you please be serious about this?" Rory's mouth hung open aghast.

"I guess I wasn't thinking about how you'd feel about this when I said it." Lorelai rolled her eyes. "You should go, it sounds fun and you shouldn't pass up something that spells out F-U-N."

"It's basketball, mom. I don't play sports except that one game of golf with Grandpa and that was even terrible!" Rory threw a pair of underwear in a separate drawer and took a seat on her bed. Lorelai stopped putting clothes away and took a seat next down to her daughter.

"It's not about playing whatever game they play. Just go, hang out, and have a little fun. You can hate me all tomorrow if you'd like,okay?" Lorelai compromised.

"Fine, but if I come home with a chunk bitten out of me, I am totally blaming you." Rory poked a finger at her mother's chest.

"Fine." Lorelai smiled. "Let's finish unpacking."

- - - -

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	2. Lessons in Basketball and Books

Title: Somewhere Between Far and Away

Author: Nocturnal

Rating: PG-13 (strong language and sensuality)

Summary: Rory Gilmore and her mother, Lorelai relocate to Tree Hill, a small North Carolina town far from Stars Hollow. Lorelai promises herself that she would escape her parents and make a life she could never regret. Rory has withdrawals after leaving Dean and her best friend, Lane behind in Stars Hollow but made dedicated promises to keep their relationships as strong as ever. Will the Gilmore Girls be able to keep those promises?

Author's Note: Wow! I was pleasantly surprised to get quite a few reviews for Chapter One so I knew I had to continue this! Thanks to all my Chapter One reviewers and this chapter is just for you guys!

- - - -

Chapter Two: Lessons in Basketball and Books

- - - -

"What should I wear?" Rory fumbled through her newly packed drawers throwing sweaters and pants a muck.

"If you want to impress the boys, I got a great pair of red leather pumps!" Lorelai picked up the thrown clothing and stuffed it back in the drawers.

Rory stopped obsessing and stared at her mother.

"I was kidding!" Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Besides, those are my hooker shoes---only allowed the light of day on Halloween and occasionally at the lovely Gilmore family get-togethers."

"I wonder if you will ever stop teasing Grandma." Rory started stuffing her clothes back into the drawers with her mother.

"It'll be really hard now that she isn't around to tease." Lorelai sighed. "Aw, who am I going to tease merciless now?"

"It's Michel coming to work at your inn, you all ready tease him." Rory pointed out.

"No, Michel decided to take a permanent vacation to the south of France to visit l_es parents_." The last part Lorelai mimicked in a bad French accent.

"At least he loves his parents enough to visit them." Rory pointed out again.

"Hey!" Lorelai slapped Rory's arm playfully. "We went to all those Friday night dinners."

"Yes but against your own stubborn free will." Rory smirked. "How many times did you fake sickness?"

"Ball park figure-- 28 times." Lorelai tucked the last shirt back in the drawer and sat on Rory's bed. "Emily Gilmore is my mother and is a crazed Nazi woman at that, so it's not like that excuse ever worked."

"How do I look?" Rory held out her hands watching her mother scan her body.

"Like Annie Hall." Lorelai simply replied. Rory growled in disgust. "You should lose the white collared shirt. You have heard the meaning of casual, dear?"

Rory pulled the shirt off and flung on the ground.

"Actually, that look just may do it for you." Lorelai pointed to the white bra on her daughter. "I think it sends just the right message."

"I'm just going to wear this." Rory pulled a plain white t-shirt over her head and pulled a gray sweater over that.

"Fine by me but I still think the Victoria Secret look would have gotten some attention." Lorelai stood up and ruffled her daughter's hair as they exited the room.

- - - -

"Where did she get this thing!" Rory fumbled with a map in her hands.

It was a map of Tree Hill and had a whole bunch of markings on it that Lorelai had scribbled to help her find her way. It wasn't helping though, it only made the map harder to read. Who needs a map for Tree Hill, anyway? The town is small, if I walk around in circles enough, I should find it soon, Rory thought to herself. River Court. Just head toward the river and she should run into this park,

Shoving the map around her and trying to fold it back up, Rory slammed into a hard body and hit the pavement on her butt. She let out a small cry before she saw a large hand reach out to help her up. It was connected to a young, friendly male face. The boy had short dark hair and looked really freaked out, his eyes wide.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention!" He cried out taking Rory's hand in his palm.

"It's okay, I wasn't either." Rory rose to her feet, the boy's hand holding onto her own.

"Guess it's both our faults." The boy chuckled nervously. "Name's Nathan Scott, in case you feel like pressing charges."

"Rory Gilmore, in case you get a complaint." Rory smiled and let her hand drop from Nathan's own.

Nathan leaned over and picked up Rory's map and his own basketball he dropped in the collision. He looked at the map, his brows furrowing curiously.

"I was looking for River Court." Rory explained.

"And you need a map for that?" Nathan asked handing the map back to her.

"I just moved here. I'm from Connecticut." Rory tucked the map in her sweater pocket.

"Cool." Nathan smiled raising an eyebrow. "You want me to show you down there? I was just heading there myself."

"Sure." Rory sighed. That map was getting her nowhere. "So,you play basketball?"

"Yeah." Nathan spun the ball in this hands. "Tree Hill's Ravens, Number 23."

"Michael Jordan's number." Rory said. "Does it give you much luck?"

"If you count winning playoffs four years in a row." Nathan boasted.

"Wow. You guys must have a really great team." Rory cheerfully said.

"Yeah." Nathan's face fell like she said the wrong thing.

It was quiet for some time as they walked in step, side by side. Rory couldn't help but check Nathan out, trying to remember small details about him. He was dressed in Nike sweat pants and pullover, an assemble that distinctively pegged him as the athletic type. He had short-cropped dark brown hair and gentle eyes that presented a kindness that wasn't in his natural demeanor. He bounced the ball along the pavement, keeping a pace that Rory could only think was from years of practice and patience.

Soon, Rory could hear a distant dribbling and _swoosh_ sound coming from nearby. She looked around to see a large river to her right and a basketball court coming into view ahead of them. It wasn't much of a park, a little barren and sad as if it was once a popular place that rotted away over years.

"This is River Court." Rory stated looking around.

"Not much, I know, but it's one of the few places to play ball and have a little privacy and freedom." Nathan smiled down at her. Rory flushed a bit pink but looked away to hide it.

A cell phone ring tone filled the air and Rory shoved her hand down into her pocket. She viewed into the tiny screen and saw that it wasn't hers. She looked over at Nathan to see his phone up to his ear, answering it politely. Her heart dropped into her stomach, she was hoping that Dean would call her soon. He always talked to her everyday.

Rory looked over to the court and noticed another teenage boy her age standing there looking at the two of them. He had on a pair of gray sweats and a sweatshirt over a lean frame. He looked a little shorter than Nathan but carried himself similarly. Must be a basketball player thing, Rory thought to herself. She walked away from Nathan, who seemed to be deep in conversation on the phone, and toward the other boy.

As she got closer, she saw him a little clearer than before. He had a mane of dirty blond hair that stuck out in a cute bed head way. He had strange, sleepy deep blue eyes that seemed very focused as he shot the ball into the basketball.

"Hey." Nathan called stepping up next to Rory. "Luke, sorry to bail and all but Haley just called, we're gonna catch a movie."

The boy stopped shooting and held the ball firmly in his hands. He eyed Rory intently but talked to Nathan.

"She was suppose to come down here." He replied. "I actually thought she was with you."

Nathan glanced at Rory as if to notice something on her face before looking at Luke again.

"Yeah...I got to go, the movie starts soon, so I gotta jet." Nathan waved at Luke and gave a quick pat to Rory's back before walking back from where they came.

The boy stared at Rory a second longer before turning back to his fun. She lowered her eyes staring at the grass on the ground before scrambling to a picnic table nearby. Great thinking MOM!, She yelled in her head. It was just this boy here and no one else. Also, an extreme importance of basketball that she did not know anything about or how to even play it.

She sat at the table, watching him play. He was very good, hardly missing any of the shots. She was impressed by his natural talent and wondered if Dean had ever played basketball and if he were any good at it.

"So, you're name is Luke?" Rory asked politely.

"Lucas." Lucas strained out as he landed another perfect shot.

"You are very good at that." Rory meekly said.

"Thanks." He smirked a moment, paying attention to the hoop in front of him.

Rory's heart was pounding hard and focusing on what to say next seemed like an impossible task. She pulled _Of Mice and Men_ out of her sweater pocket and flipped to the last chapter and started reading. Reading was the only thing she could think to do, the only thing that kept her sane and probably the only thing that would calm her nerves. After a few paragraphs, she noticed the dribbling had stopped and it was dead quiet besides the crickets chirping in the grass. She pulled the book down and saw Lucas staring at the book in her hands.

"You read." His eyebrows rose and he walked over to the picnic table.

"All the time." Rory replied. Second time that day, someone was interested in her reading.

"Steinbeck too." The corner of his mouth twitched up for a moment to show a small smile.

"Yes, and Bronte, Dickens, Poe..." Rory tilted her head thinking of all the books she had read over the years. "Anyone you could think of."

"Ah." Lucas sighed and set the ball down and settling himself at the table. "That's something I know too."

"You read?" Rory's jaw almost hit the table top.

"All the time." He smiled. He stuck his hand in his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a small book and pushed it to face Rory. _The Great Gatsby._ "Required for school but it don't matter I'---"

"I've already read it before." Rory finished. "Read it for school too, but I also bought the book when I was twelve or so. A special leather bounded version. Read it six times...Gatsby's death always got me."

"Why?" Lucas' eyes looked concerned. Rory let out a terse laugh.

"I never really understood why he died." Rory shrugged. "It was inevitable but sad."

"You really into them?" Lucas looked at her intensely, staring her down again.

"Yes!" Rory exasperatedly cried out. "I spent my youth in the Stars Hollow library and book store."

"Stars Hollow?" Lucas tucked his book back into his pocket.

"Stars Hollow, Connecticut." Rory looked down at her book. "I just moved here from there."

"Your name is Rory Gilmore." Lucas stuck a finger out at her accusingly. Rory's eyes widen. "My mom told me about you. Said you came in the shop this morning and was reading Steinbeck."

"Your mom is Karen?" Rory asked remembering the kind middle aged woman from that morning.

"Yes. She runs that cafe." Lucas looked down at his pants and pulled out a cell phone and clicked it on. "Sorry."

Rory watched as he started talking to someone on the other end. She went back to reading but couldn't focus on the words. She was thinking of the boy sitting across from her. He was cute and obviously played ball for fun. He also read and read books by great authors. He was turning into an enigma to her and she was becoming more interested in what he knew and read about.

"Uh, Rory?" He said stashing his phone back in his pocket. "I have to go. Do you need a ride home?"

She was thinking of saying no to spare him the gas but she really didn't know how to get back to her house from there.

"Sure, thanks." Rory tucked the book back in her sweater and stood up.

She followed him to a beaten up tow truck and slipped in the passenger seat as he held the door open for her. He was turning out to be a gentleman too. She would have to remember that. He put the ball in the back and hopped in to the driver's seat.

"Where do you live?" He asked as they started down a road.

"Uh, Carver Street...3467 Carver Street." Rory thought about it a minute. "Yeah, there."

"Sure?" He smirked at her.

"Yeah." She held a blush down.

- - - -

"OOo...you got a ride!" Lorelai hopped up and down as she saw her daughter open the door.

"Only because I couldn't find the place." Rory narrowed her eyes at her mother.

Lorelai stopped hopping around and sighed.

"Didn't you use the map I gave you?" Lorelai gestured to Rory's sweater pocket.

"Yes, but it was very un-useful." Rory smacked the map in her mother's hands.

Lorelai unfolded the map as Rory took her shoes off at the door.

"Oh, I was eating PB&J when I was making notes." Lorelai examined the map. "That would explain the globby things there and possible the weird smell over River Court."

"I'm going to sleep." Rory grunted walking off toward the bed.

"Uh-uh." Lorelai grabbed her daughter's arm and stopped her. "I wanna know what happened. Remember that little thing that we use to do when one of us went out on dates and then ate ice cream and talked about it?"

"I don't feel like talking about it very much." Rory frowned at Lorelai.

"Come on!" Lorelai tugged on Rory's hands. "I've been stuck in this house all day with its new house smell and squeaky floor boards and at some point slaving over a hot stove to eat a meal."

"You don't cook." Rory pointed out.

"I don't." Lorelai answered. "But you can't say that to Uncle Sam or Betty Crocker."

"True." Rory wasn't much of a cook either. One of the few hereditary traits she _did_ get from her mother. "So, what about the ice cream?"

"I went out and got some just so when you come home we could have one of those long boy talks." Lorelai smiled. "And that ice cream is part of the essential food group in the Lorelai Gilmore house."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you." Rory smiled as she linked arms with her mother as they walked through the hallway to their new kitchen.

- - - -

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